Water supply and heating apparatus.



Patented Apr. 3, |900.

A. G. MATHER. WATER SUPPLY AND HEATING APPARATUS.

(Application med my e, 1899.)

Udo Model.)

Tn: Nonms versus oo., uom-uhm.. wmmorom n. c.

Niren STATES PATENI Prion.

ALLAN G. MATIIER, OF MIINVAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO JOHN S.V BLAKNEYAND VILLIAM W. MCOALLUM, OF SAME PLACE.

WATER SUPPLY AND HEATING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 646,445, dated April 3,1900.

Application led May 6, 1899. Serial No. 715.836. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLAN G. MATHER, of Milwaukee, in the county ofMilwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in lVater Supply and Heating Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing, which is a part of this specitiation.

My invention relates to improved apparatus to be employed in connectionwith the supply-pipe of a water-service system and in connection withthe burner of a supply-pipe of a gas-service system, in and by whichapparatus the opening ofa faucet in the watersupply pipe will also leton a supply of gas to the burner, cause it to be lighted, and therebyheat the water in the -water-service pipe, from which the thus-heatedwater will be dis charged at any faucet thus opened in the buildingprovided with the water service system.

My invention consists of the apparatus, its parts and combination ofparts, as herein described and claimed, or the equivalents thereof.

In. the drawing the figure is a vertical section of myimproved apparatusin connection with fragments of a gas-service system and a water-servicesystem, parts being shown in elevation for convenience of illustration.

In my improved apparatus the principal water-supply pipe, directly afterentering the building and preferably in the cellar, is taken through aheater arranged to be heated by means of gas combustion, and thence thesupply-pipe runs through the building, extending to various roomstherein,in which it is provided with faucets.

In the drawing, 5 is the case of a heater, which is preferably madedouble, containing an air-space or a space that may be filled with anymaterial that is adapted to prevent the radiation or conduction of heat.This heater 5 is preferably made with a comparativelysmall opening 6 atthe top and is entirely open at the bottom, resting on a suitable frame7 therefor. A gas-supply pipe S terminates below the heater in anupwardly-discharging nozzle 9. About the nozzle 9 and secured s thereto,conveniently bya screw-thread, at a distance below its upper open end,there is a mixer-tube 10, which at its upper end terminates in anoutwardly-flaring plate 1l, which plate at its lateral edges terminatesin an upwardlylturned edge or ange l2, adapted to fit against the loweredge of the heater 5 and thus close it, except for the gas-mixeraperture upwardly through the mixer-tube 10. A little above the mouth ofthe mixer-tube 10 a detlector 11 is secured detachably and Inovably,normally directly"over the upwardlyopening mouth of the mixer-tube,which defiector is adapted for deflecting or distributing the gasbeing'discharged through the miXertube radially over the surface of theplate 1l. Above the deector 11- there is a fine-wire screen 13, restingon the top edge of the plate 11'and preferably fitted in a recesstherefor in the top of the flange. This screen 13 is intended andadapted for a gas-burner surface, so that the gas being dischargedupwardly from the tube 10 will when lighted burnV freely on and abovethe wire burnerscreen 13. The tube 10 at its lowe'r extremity turns byscrew-thread on the upturned nozzle 9 of the gas-supply pipe, and theburner, including the tube 10, the plate 1l, and the screen 13, may beraised or lowered on the nozzle by its screw-thread, thereby adaptingthe burner to be lowered away from the heater 5 for the purpose ofremoving the screen 13 for cleaning it readily. A jam-nut 14, turning onthe nozzle 9 below the tube 10,is adapted to be turned against the tube,and thus lock it in place.

The gas-supply pipe S is provided with a valve-chamber 15 and a valve16, adapted to be seated at the end of the valve-chamber, thus normallyclosing the pipe against the inflow of gas. A very small gas-pipe 17leads from the gas-chamber 15 into the chamber of the heater 5, justabove the screen-burner 13, and this small gas-pipe terminates in agasdischarging orifice that is adapted to continuously dischargea smallstream of gas, which is kept constantly lighted, being thereby adaptedto ignite the larger supplyof gas when the valve 16 is opened,permitting the,

gas to How through the mixer-tube 10 and through the screen-burner 13.

The supply-pipe 18 of the water-service sys- ICO tcm, preferably justafter entering the building and conveniently in the basement orcellar-,leads through a piston-chamber 19 and into the .chamber of theheater 5, where it is preferably disposed in one or more coils 20,located above the burner-screen 13 and preferably in such order that thefirst coil will be at the greatest distance above the burner and thelast coil will be nearest the burner, the pipe leading from the lastcoil through the side of the heater and continuing in a pipe 18' throughthe building, being provided in the several rooms with a faucet like theone shown at 21.

I find it advantageous, both for the purpose of absorbingan y water ofcondensation or percolation from the water-supply pipe and as a means ofretaining and conserving the heat of the combustion of gas in the heater5, to provide a layer or covering of asbestos 22 or analogous loose noncombustible material above each coil 20, and this may be suitably andconveniently supported on sheets of woven-wire cloth or screen 23,resting on the coils.

In the pistou-chamber 19 `there is a very loosely fitted pston'24,located between the point at which the pipe 1S enters the chamber andthe point at. which the corresponding pipe leads therefrom, which pistonis connected by a stem directly to the valve 16 in the gaschamber 15.The piston-stem is reciprocable gas-iight through the end of thegaschamber 15, and a flexible diaphragm 25, secured to the siem of thepiston, is also secu red tothe lower head ofthe chamber 19, thusproviding for a limited amount of reciprocable movement of the piston 24in its chamber. The aperture through the head of the chamber 19,Which isthus closed by the stern and the diaphragm 25, is of less superficialarea than the area of the surface of the piston 24, thus providing for adifferential action of the water in the chamber 19 on the piston asagainst the pressure on the diaphragm 25. It

will be noted that the piston-chamber 19 enlarges upwardly graduallyfrom the horizontal plane at which the piston 24 is located when thevalve 1G is on its seat.

In operation the continuous supply of gas 1 discharged by the small pipe17 is constantly burning just above the screen-burner 13. The water inthe service supply-pipe 18 fills the chamber 19, leaking past orotherwise limitedly passing the piston 24 and filling the coils and thedischarge-pipe 18', and in this condition when a faucetin thediseharge-pipe 18 is opened the discharge of Water therefrom at oncecauses such a pressure of the Water-supply on the under side of thepiston 24 as to lift it and the valve 16, thereby permitting gas to flowthrough the nozzle 9,where upon the gas filtering through the screen 13will be ignited and, burning thereon freely, will quickly heat the waterin the coils 20, which, running therefrom to the open faucet, will bepromptly supplied for use. When the faucet is again closed, the greaterpressure of the water on the entire upper surface of the piston 24 ascompared with the pressure on the under surface of the piston, which hasa less area than the upper surface has to the extent of the crosssectionof the stem of the piston, will force the piston downwardly and closethe gas-valve 16. In a small heater only one coil would be required, andsuch number of coils maybe employed as is desirable. In fact, anyarrangement of the water-pipe within the heater 5 whereby it is exposedto thc heat of the combustion of the gas will comply with the spirit ofmy invention.

That I claim as my invention is- In apparatus for heating water in awaterservice system, the combination of a pistonchamber in thewater-supply pipe, a leaking piston in the chamber in the course of theWater, a fiexible diaphragm of less area than the piston closing thechamber at one side of the piston, a pipe for conducting gas toawater-heater, a valve in the gas-pipe, and astem connecting the pistonthe diaphragm and the valve compelling concurrent movement thereof.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

C. T. BENEDICT, ANNA V. FAUs'r.

